You know those times when you plan to make one thing and then it turns out to be a completely different thing, and the thing you didn’t mean to make is actually better than the thing you tried to make in the first place?

That’s how I discovered these coconut covered cherries. I just wanted a bowl of frozen cherries with a little whipped coconut cream on top, but as the coconut cream covered the frozen fruit, it froze and coated the cherries. Coconut Covered Cherries…yes please! I, of course, had to try a chocolate version too. Who doesn’t love chocolate covered cherries? These frozen delights make a perfect bite-sized treat when you need just a little something sweet.

They are pretty healthy too. There is only 1 teaspoon of sugar in 15 covered cherries. Coconut cream is surprisingly good for you, despite it’s saturated fat content. The medium-chain fatty acids in coconut gets converted to energy as soon as your body absorbs it (unlike saturated animal fat which is difficult for the body to metabolize). It also contains lauric acid which is an immunity booster.

When selecting your can of coconut milk, look for a full fat kind with only coconut and water in the ingredients. Other ingredients like guar gum can keep the cream from separating from the water. Refrigerate the coconut milk overnight so the cream will rise to the top. You want it to look like this with the cream at the top and the coconut water at the bottom. Save the water to use in cooking or smoothies.

When cold, the coconut cream rises to the top.

Life is just a bowl of cherries; Don’t make it serious; Life’s too mysterious. You work, you save, you worry so, But you can’t take your dough when you go, go, go. So keep repeating it’s the berries; The strongest oak must fall. The sweet things in life To you were just loaned, So how can you lose what you’ve never owned? Life is just a bowl of cherries, So live and laugh at it all.

This stuff is seriously delicious as is. It will be hard to keep little (and big) fingers out of it!

Dip the frozen cherries into the cream and place on a parchment or wax lined pan. If the cream isn’t sticking well, pat the cherries dry with a paper towel. Place in the freezer for 20-30 minutes until the cream is completely frozen. Transfer to air tight zip top bag or container. Enjoy straight from the freezer.

Other variations: Try different fruits or flavors like maple cinnamon coconut covered bananas. Or try rolling in sprinkles or shredded coconut. Let me know if you come up with a tasty variation!